INTRODUCTION
When you think of Mumbai, it is always the bustling city, skyscrapers, varieties of scrumptious food, land of opportunities, a center of commerce, etc. However, there is more to Maharastra, than just fancy cafes and luxury hotels. Maharashtra is gifted with many trekking options as it is enveloped by the jungles of the Western Ghats. Treks in Maharashtra range from easy trekking on the grassland routes, to very difficult trekking through the jungle routes. Majestic waterfalls, sighting various diversities of flora and fauna, river bridges make climbing in Maharashtra an unforgettable experience.
The Alang Madan Kulang is one such Trek worth exploring. It is widely considered one of the most challenging treks in the area of Maharashtra. Venture on this three-day and two nights trek and span through the 3 main forts: Alang fort, Madan fort, and Kulang fort, which are situated in the highest mountain scope of Maharashtra.
Your climbing experience will commence along with transfers from the Kasara Railway Station. Brace yourself to unwind completely with fascinating views of the lush green ravines, forts, temples, and caves. An experienced professional guide will guide this trek and the Alang Madan Kulang trekking package also has top-grade quality safety tools. Experience the unreal beauty of nature while spending a night in camps situated near caves with provisions of breakfast all 3 days and dinner, lunch, and evening tea on 2 days.
GETTING HERE
The trek is located in Nashik district. It is 140 kilometers away from Mumbai, about 62 kilometers away from Nashik and about 184 kilometers away from Pune. The trail can be commenced from many villages — Ghatghar, Ambewadi or Kurungwadi, also known as Kulang Wadi.
It is suggested to start the trek from Ghatghar and finish at Kurung Wadi, for this provides you with the full trek adventure. Besides, it gives you the thrill of a valley crossing trek, which is limited to only the Himalayas.
OWN VEHICLE
You can start easily on the road and almost the same distance from Mumbai. You can also reach the camp and commence your trial, at the earliest, by 7:00 AM. This makes sure you come to Alang before noon and finish at Madan where you tent for the night before it gets dark.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
People trying to afford the journey and splurge on other activities can go for public transport to reach the camp. Reaching the base campsite from Mumbai involves taking a bunch of trains and buses. Make sure you take the Mumbai Local train from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Kasara. At Kasara, grab a bus to Igatpuri. Otherwise, you can grab an Express Train from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Igatpuri, if time is a priority for you. At Igatpuri, grab a bus to Ghoti village. If you reach Ghoti village on or before 6:00 AM, you will get a direct bus at 6:00 AM to Ambewadi, provided you start your trek from there. To set foot on Ghatghar, our suggested start point, grab a bus that goes to Bhandardara from Ghoti village. Once you reach Bhandardara, hire a taxi to Samrad or Ratanwadi and walk till you reach Ghatghar.
MORE ABOUT THE TREK
Alang Madan Kulang is a challenging trek, it depends on where you start and finish. Also, there are many base villages to start this trek from. The route takes you across the farmlands and the trail is much lush on this side. The venture of starting the trek at one village and finishing it in the other is something which you will only get if you’re in the Himalayas.
For a better trek, we suggest you start the trek from Kurungwadi and finish at Ghatghar. This includes a hard climb from Kurungwadi and a faster descent towards Ghatghar.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
This journey is best done between October and February.Since, the technical nature of the terrain, it is better to do the trek after monsoons and before summers. Here it is better, as you are not exposed to the elements and also to the extremely technical terrain in a heavy downpour in monsoons and scorching heat during summers.
It is not recommended to do the trek in the monsoon. However, summer is comfortable in contrast to the difficulties involved in the monsoon season. While it can be manageable when the weather is good, it becomes life-threatening in the monsoon.
That’s all folks! Make sure you visit Alang Madan Kulang trek. Until next time.
